Unregistered sex offender sentenced to 21 months in prison

BATON ROUGE - The United States Department of Justice sent a strong message to unregistered sex offenders Friday by sentencing a convicted child pornographer who didn't register to 21 months in prison.

Noel Carlson, 38, of Mesa, Arizona will be supervised for five years after release .

In 1997, Carlson was convicted of attempted possession and distribution of child pornography in Arizona and received a probated sentence. He fled to Louisiana in 2010, becoming a fugitive, and was arrested by U.S. Marshals in January 2011.

The Adam Walsh Act required Carlson to register as a sex offender in Louisiana within three days of moving. The registration process would have notified Carlson's neighbors of his address and status as a sex offender.

United States Department of Justice says Carlson admitted he failed to register in Louisiana in order to evade law enforcement authorities in Arizona.

"Carlson's 21-month sentence in this case sends a message to unregistered sex offenders that their crime will not be perceived as merely a paperwork violation. It should be a wake-up call to those sex offenders who have not yet registered that their failure to do so will not be tolerated in our district, said United States Attorney Cazayoux.

"Apprehensions and prosecutions of people like Carlson reassure the public of our commitment to ensure their safety and more importantly, as in this case, the safety of their children," said United States Marshal Kevin C. Harrison.

This matter was investigated by the United States Marshals-led SOLAT, which includes Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana Office of Probation and Parole, the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office, the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office, the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office, and the Baton Rouge Police Department.